8 learning January/February 2009
SECONDARY www.cumberland-news.co.uk/learning
for the latest education news in Cumbria
NEWS IN BRIEF
Academies: Consultation launched
Developments at Carlisle's two
academies have been moving apace.
Ofsted used snap powers to carry
out an emergency inspection of the
Central Academy, following fears over
health and safety and violence, as
plans to build its �30m new home on
the former St Aidan's school site were
submitted.
Meanwhile, the Richard Rose
Federation launched a consultation on
controversial plans to restructure its
workforce at the two schools. Up to
49 posts � 19 teachers and 30 support
and business staff � could go in a
move that will save �1.4 million.
The federation's executive is due to
publish its final response to the
30-day consultation early in February.
League tables: Best year for GCSEs
Cumbria's smaller secondary schools
celebrated some of the biggest
improvements in the GCSE results
league tables when they were
published earlier this month.
Solway Community Technology
College in Silloth, Beacon Hill School
in Aspatria, Newman School in Carlisle
and Samuel King's School in Alston
were among the best performers with
large increases in number of pupils
getting five top passes. Samuel King's
also recorded the biggest jump in the
country for the number of top passes
between 2005 and 2008 � an
increase of 47 per cent.
The performances crowned a
memorable year for Cumbria, which
recorded its best GCSE results ever.
A new curriculum was introduced in September for 11-14 year olds.
Learning visits William Howard School in Brampton and Carlisle's
Morton Academy to see how different schools are responding
I
t can be difficult when a child moves
up from primary into secondary
school.
The fears and the leap into a world
where you have different lessons in
different classrooms can prevent some
from progressing well.
But now the key stage three
curriculum has been changed in a bid to
ensure children get the right first
impression of secondary school, making
the transition smoother.
The new 11-14 curriculum gives more
time to cross-curricular activities and
puts a bigger focus on developing
personal learning and transferable skills
that will help them later in education,
employment and life.
At William Howard School a special
transition unit was formed to help its
latest 270 year seven pupils.
Chris Mothersdale, the Brampton
school's head of standards for year seven,
said: "One of the most important things
we have to remember is that they were
coming from around 15 feeder primary
schools, some of them tiny where just
two or three children were coming to us.
"We had one child who was the only
one coming to us from their particular
primary school.
"William Howard is completely
different, it is so much bigger and
subjects are taught in a different way so
from that aspect our work is really
important.
"We wanted to ensure that the
transition process was as smooth as
possible. That hasn't just meant working
with the children themselves, it has
involved working with families too. They
can be more concerned than the children
and we've held parents' events to keep
them informed about what is going on."
Mr Mothersdale visited all the feeder
primary schools last summer to tell the
then year six pupils more about life at
secondary school. Teachers also visited
the primary schools to find out more
about how they taught their subjects in a
cross-curricular way.
At the beginning of the academic year
special cross-curricular days were
arranged with the aim of helping new
Crossing the divide,
strengthening links
Trinity Sixth Form
Centre
Everyone at Trinity Sixth Form Centre would be delighted
to welcome you to our Introductory Evening at 6 pm on
Tuesday 27th January 2009, to hear more about courses
on offer from September 2009.
Strand Road, Carlisle CA11JB www.trinity.cumbria.sch.uk
For more information, please contact
Mrs A. Fleming on 01228 403563
or at afm@trinity.cumbria.sch.uk
A lively and energetic Sixth Form, with excellent, modern facilities,
including a Common Room, a superb Library and Trinity Leisure
Centre and Pool.
Consistently high exam success rate
Over 50 course options, including 40 `A' levels
A tradition of welcoming students from outside Trinity
Over 100 students move successfully to University each year
Caring and supportive pastoral system
Outstanding range of extra-curricular activities
`The transition process
has meant working with
families as well as pupils'
Transition unit: Chris Mothersdale,
head of standards for year seven at
William Howard School
Welcome
song:
William
Howard
pupil Jere-
my Ingham
takes the
part of a
Brazilian
musician.
The children
were given a
cross-cur-
ricular pro-
ject to de-
sign caf�s
for interna-
tional ath-
letes visiting
the London
2012
Olympics.
Split into
groups,
each one
adopted a
different
country

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